Nicky Wang Named CEO of WE Red Bridge
CURRENT CEO PENNY BURGESS STEPS INTO EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN ROLE
SHANGHAI — 1 DECEMBER 2021 – WE Red Bridge, a leading integrated communications agency in China, has appointed Nicky Wang as CEO, China. Wang succeeds current CEO and long-time business partner Penny Burgess who will transition into the role of Executive Chairman, China. The appointments are effective from 1 January 2022.
Wang originally joined the agency, then known as Red Bridge Communications, in 2009 as Managing Partner alongside Founder, Penny Burgess. She has most recently served as WE Red Bridge’s Managing Director and Head of Strategy, spearheading the agency’s integrated capabilities expansion in creative, digital, insights & analytics and planning. Known for building long-lasting client partnerships, Wang has led teams that deliver creative, integrated campaigns that drive business results, receiving multiple industry accolades in the process, including the Cannes Lions, SABRE Awards, PR Awards Asia and The Drum Awards. Wang herself has also been recognized as one of Campaign Asia’s Women to Watch in 2020 and awarded the Young Business Leader Award at Campaign’s Women Leading Change Awards in 2019.
“I am thrilled to start my next chapter at WE Red Bridge,” said Wang. “We have built an amazing team that continuously motivates me to bring my best each and every day. Operating in this dynamic and competitive market requires constant evolution, and I’m absolutely honored to lead our team to relentlessly push the boundary of communications.
“I would especially like to thank Penny for her guidance and mentorship over the past 12 years. Without her, WE Red Bridge and I would not be in the position we are today. I look forward to building on our momentum as the go-to integrated communications partner for brands in China.”
Coinciding with Wang’s move to CEO, Burgess will step into the role of Executive Chairman, China. Burgess will support Wang and the WE Red Bridge leadership team through the transition, handing over day-to-day business operations, and continue as a senior advisor to WE Red Bridge clients. Following the 2017 merger between WE Communications and Red Bridge Communications in China, Burgess led the integration of the two businesses and the subsequent restructuring of the combined agency to provide expanded integrated services to clients across China in consumer, technology, healthcare and corporate sectors.
On Wang’s elevation to CEO, Burgess said, “I am incredibly proud to hand over the reins to Nicky to take the business into the future. Together, we grew the agency from humble beginnings at my kitchen table to the remarkable team we have today of over 120 across Beijing and Shanghai. Nicky is a natural leader and highly agile strategist who puts her people first and is uncompromising about the work. Under her leadership I know the team and our clients are in the best hands, and that the agency will continue to evolve and deliver award-winning results.”
Kass Sells, WE Communications’ global COO and president of international, added, “Our China team does some of the most creative and innovative work in our network. This is thanks to leaders like Penny and Nicky building a supportive culture that encourages experimentation and continuous learning, leading to great work with our clients. I look forward to the continued partnership with Nicky and her leadership team as we strive to be the best agency in China.”
WE Red Bridge was established following the 2017 merger of WE Communications and Red Bridge Communications in China. The agency has over 120 integrated communications specialists across Beijing and Shanghai. WE Red Bridge works with a wide array of clients spanning the consumer, health and technology sectors. WE Red Bridge was the only finalist from mainland China for PRWeek Asia’s Best Places to Work 2021; it was also named PR Awards Asia’s Greater China PR Consultancy of the Year in 2020.
ABOUT WE
WE is one of the largest independent communications and integrated marketing agencies in the world. We’re all about people — both our clients and employees — and we believe in the power of communications to move audiences to positive action. Female-founded, female-led and fiercely independent, WE has spent more than three decades helping world-class brands tell technology-led transformation stories that shift perceptions and change behavior.
Our global reach includes offices in 21 cities, partner networks that expand our footprint and client capabilities, and a team of more than 1,200 media and content strategists, creatives and data scientists across our technology, health and consumer sectors. Our work with global brands like Microsoft, Honeywell, McDonald’s and Volvo has been recognized by Cannes Lions, PRovoke SABRE Awards and PRWeek Awards, just to name a few.
For more information, press only: JJ Minder, WE Communications, [email protected]
